Complications Part II
by LuvWhatUDo
Summary: John and Kem make a decision that puts directly in the middle of the Congolese Civil War. Will that decision cost one or both of them their lives?
1. Chapter 7 The One Who Waits

_This is story picks up where Chapter 6 of "Complications" left off. Azel, Charles, Deb, and Angelique return as characters. And 3 new characters are introduced._

_I hope you enjoy it._

Chapter 7 – The One Who Waits

Kem presses her back firmly into the wall, ignoring the sharp rocks that bite into her skin. She is trying to distance herself as much as possible from Azel, even as she prays that he will come to his senses. Azel reaches out a hand to touch her and she grimaces in disgust and fear. Just then a voice calls out into the room, "Can I help?"

Kem and Azel jump in shock at the unexpected sound. Azel turns to the side in order to see who uttered that question, thereby also giving Kem an opportunity to view the source of the interruption.

Kem relaxes immediately.

John is leaning his shoulder casually against the opposite side of the same door that Azel had earlier occupied.

Although his stance is casual and his voice polite, the look in his eyes is stern showing that he is ready to pounce if necessary. And he directs that look squarely at Azel.

Kem looks down as she tries to steady her heartbeat. She is torn between being miffed that John ignored her request to not follow her, and being relieved that he _had_ followed her and was now protecting her from Azel's intentions.

"Why, if it's not our guest from America, doctor…", Azel answers and there is a trace of menace to his voice as he searches his memory for John's name.

John smiles slightly. He is amused that Azel genuinely does not appear to remember his name, and he really isn't surprised.

He and Kem had first met Azel three months ago at a government sponsored party being held to honor all of the humanitarian groups assisting Congolese citizens in Kisangani.

In truth, the event had been a thinly veiled publicity stunt designed to try to get potentially influential foreign nationals in the city to see the 'good-side' of the existing regime. In turn, the party's organizers hoped that this would persuade the aforementioned persons to plead with their countries to support the current government in its various requests for aid and supplies – nonmilitary and military alike.

When John had introduced himself to Azel, he only mentioned that he was a doctor from the U.S. helping out in the clinic run by Alliance Internationale. John knew that his name was not instantly recognizable as one of the richest men in the Chicago, and he had not felt the need to inform Azel about this little fact.

As a result of his omission, Azel had shaken his hand dismissively; a sign that in Azel's mind, John was just another idealistic foreigner in his country, who would leave as soon as his 'I want to help save the world' itch had been soothed.

John stands up straight, walks towards Azel and holds out his hand, "John Carter", he says in an easy manner as he finishes Azel's sentence.

"Ah, Dr. Carter. So good to see you again", replies Azel mirthlessly. Azel turns to look at Kem, as he silently refuses to shake John's outstretched hand.

Kem doesn't need to look at Azel to know that he is annoyed and she decides to remain silent in order to diminish the possibility of annoying him further. Instead, she looks at John hoping that in her silence and in her eyes, he can understand the best way to proceed – a way that will keep John safe from whatever retaliation Azel might be in position to wield against him.

"So, you never answered. Can I help?" Although John asks the question in a bright tone, both men know that John's easy going manner in this situation is just a façade.

For a moment, there is only tense silence as the two men regard each other warily; each trying to determine the next best course of action; each trying to size up the physical abilities of the other.

John makes the first move by squatting down on his heels and collecting the files that Kem dropped in her haste to move away from Azel. He quickly arranges them into a neat pile and rises back to eye level with Azel, with whom he is exactly the same height.

"It looks like you were trying to help Kem with some filing", he says with a smile.

Then his voice changes and his next words are tinted by a steely-edge that belies his earlier tone. "But now that _I_ have the files, I guess that your assistance won't be necessary after all."

Azel returns John's smile with a bitter one of his own as he realizes that he has lost any legitimate explanation for remaining in the room. He nods his head at John and Kem.

"Yes, it appears that the situation is under control now", he says coldly. He backs away from Kem and brushes against John slightly as he moves towards the door.

"It was nice meeting you again, Dr. Carter…Miss Likasu", he says. He emphasizes the word, "Miss", to indicate that he knows that Kem is unmarried and, therefore, officially unattached. He nods again in their direction and then leaves the room.

For what seems like the first time in hours, Kem takes a breath and allows that action to refresh her body and ease her mind.

"Thank you," she says softly as she closes the distance between her and John, and she puts her head against his chest.

After a few seconds, she looks up and says, "And thank you for not hitting him. That would have been a very bad idea."

"What? Defense of a third party isn't recognized in the Congo?" he says with a look of false disbelief on his face.

"Recognized or not – it is always a bad idea to pummel high ranking officials of any country in which one is a guest. It's just that _here_, that action may carry with it an unofficially sanctioned, but still very real, death penalty."

She gently pulls his head down, leans up on her toes, and lightly kisses his lips. "That is for rescuing me", she says. He smiles and kisses her in return. Then she moves back slightly from him and punches him playfully in his shoulder.

"Ow", he says in mock pain.

"That was for following me, when I asked you not to", she says, and in the blink of an eye, she takes the files from him and deftly knells before the filing cabinet, as she ignores his false protests of injury.

As she resumes her work of putting the files in their proper places, John is silent but he is also smiling.

He desperately searches his mind for a verbal riposte that will effectively curtail any further criticism, but he is a bit disappointed in himself when only the obvious seems to come to mind.

"Uh…well, I saved you", he responds defiantly but playfully.

"And so that justifies your stalking me?"

"Stalking?"

"Yes, stalking. What else do you call it when someone follows you without your permission?" Even though he can't see it, she is smiling as she waits to hear his defense to this latest accusation.

"Uh…good planning", he says hopefully and they both begin to giggle at his lame response.

He knells down to her level and kisses the place between her neck and shoulder. "Besides, I left like 15 minutes after you did, but, if I had been a stalker, I would have left immediately after you left", he says simply.

"Oh please", she responds laughingly. "Admit it. You don't think that I can take care of myself without you", she says wryly.

"Okay…this is my last-ditch effort here", he says as he waves his hands in protest. "I had a feeling."

"Ah, so you're going to blame your stalking on precognition."

"Yes," he says firmly.

She nods her head in silence as she puts the last file in the drawer. She stands up and he rises to meet her. She still hasn't answered him and he is wondering what's going through her mind.

Finally, she turns around, wraps her arms around his neck, and kisses him lightly on the lips. "In that case, your forgiven", she says with a hint of humor in her voice. He smiles in turn.

"Let's get out of here", he says and he takes her hand as they make their way out of the room.

They continue speaking about little things, and they gently chide each other for their character faults as they permit their light-hearted banter to erase the tension and fear that each of them had felt when Azel had been present.

As they emerge from the building, they make their way across the dusty street and begin their journey back to the clinic. However, their light-hearted mood is not shared by all. A tall figure appears at one of the building's many windows and peers down at the happy couple.

As Azel watches them from his office, his ponders how he can resume his original plan and get Kem away from the annoying American.

Azel's lips curl into a sneer as he thinks about how John was able to avoid a fight and yet still defeat him. _Dr. Carter may be clever_, he thinks, _but I too am clever…clever and patient. The former colonial masters of this city had a saying, "__A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.__" Everyone makes mistakes, and when Dr. Carter makes his, then I will be the one ready to pounce._


	2. Chapter 8 SelfSufficient?

Chapter 8 – Self-Sufficient?

John and Kem walk on the remnants of what passes as a sidewalk in Kisangani. The tile is broken and missing in several places, and there are numerous potholes and ruts that need to be avoided. However, the discouraging condition of the pedestrian infrastructure does not deter most people from going on foot to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

A cacophony of sounds and smells greets walkers on their journey. There are merchants peddling an assortment of wares and homemade foods, exotic colorful birds and animals from the nearby rainforest, radios pumping out a variety of beats and languages that echo the diverse backgrounds and interests of the city's residents.

Walking in this city is an adventure for the senses, and John and Kem delight in that experience as they are enveloped by Kisangani's charms. Then, suddenly, as they get closer to the clinic, Kem tumbles to the ground.

"Are you okay?' John asks with concern as he leans down to examine her. She is still lying on her palms and her forearms, and he thinks that she might be seriously injured.

"I…I don't know", she responds nervously. "I think that maybe I twisted my ankle."

John looks back and he sees a narrow but deep hole about a foot away from Kem's left heel. He shakes his head as he realizes that it must have caused her fall.

He helps her get to her feet and it's clear that she is favoring her left ankle.

"Let's see if you can put any pressure on it", he says in his most professional tone. He stoops down slightly so that she can keep one arm around his shoulders for balance as she tests out the injured ankle.

"Unh…", she grunts softly.

"Tsk...tsk…tsk", John replies softly. It is clear to him that her ankle cannot take any pressure.

"Okay. Here's what we'll do. We're about two blocks from the clinic, so I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"Don't be ridiculous. You cannot carry me for two blocks", she says dismissively. It was absurd for a grown woman to be carried for such a long distance she thinks to herself. Just as she is about to declare her willingness to walk back to the clinic on her own power, she looks at John and she immediately recognizes the no-nonsense, obstinate expression on his face. She realizes that it isn't a matter of whether she _wants_ to be carried; rather it's just a matter of when she will get into his arms so that the carrying process can begin.

She gives him one last annoyed look and then places both her arms around his neck so that their journey can resume.

With a little grunt, he lifts her smoothly up to the level of his chest and proceeds in the direction of the clinic.

She doesn't look at him, instead preferring to either look down or look ahead.

John smiles at her silence. He decides that after all her earlier bravado about not needing to be rescued and being able to take care of herself that she is probably pretty embarrassed right now. His smile widens, but he decides that now is not the right time to kid her about her current predicament. _There will be plenty of time for that later_, he thinks and he chuckles to himself as he ponders his upcoming opportunities to tease her.

About ten minutes later, John sees the clinic coming into view. As usual, there is an assortment of people sitting and standing outside the clinic's entrance. As John and Kem approach, he sees one of the men, Abe maybe, run into the clinic. A few seconds later, the man reappears with two other men close behind. It's Charles and Uwe Schilinger, a visiting surgeon from Germany.

John crosses the street and they greet him with a bit of concern in their voices.

"What happened?" asks Charles.

"Tripped over a rut in the street, I think", replies John. "Are there any beds available?"

"Yeah, there should be one in the back", says Uwe.

John starts to carry Kem towards the clinic's door.

"I don't need to be carried inside", she says softly. She is still embarrassed and the extra attention is only making it worse.

John gives her a brief annoyed look, but he otherwise ignores her statement.

"No, really", she says more emphatically, "I think that I can manage from here. Besides, some of the halls are quite crowded and it will be difficult for you to navigate with me in your arms. In fact, you're more likely to run into a wall or cause me to accidentally kick a patient than you are to get me to the bed safely."

He lets out a deep sigh as he reluctantly recognizes the validity of her argument. He places her lightly on her feet while fully supporting her shoulders.

"Okay, let go now, please. I want to try it on my own."

John obliges, and she places pressure gingerly on her left ankle. She starts to hobble towards the door, but John has his hands out ready to catch her should she stumble.

"You know I think it's starting to feel okay", she calls out in a tentative voice.

Suddenly, she stands up straight. Without saying a word, she proceeds to jump and skip on the previously 'injured' ankle. Then she beautiful executes a series of cartwheels, and gracefully runs up the few steps that lead to the clinic's main hall.

Before she goes in, she turns around to see John gaping at her in complete shock.

"Yes, it's feeling quite good now", she says in a bubbly voice. "I guess I was just tired of walking", she says innocently. And with that, she casually shrugs her shoulders, turns and walks inside.

Charles begins a slow deep chuckle and soon all of the people outside the clinic join in; all expect for John, he is still standing there dumbfounded.

Charles gives John a good-natured pat on the back. "I think she got you", he manages to say through his laughter.

John turns to him in open amazement and says, "I think I just got played." Charles laughs some more.

"For _two_ blocks", John continues as he tries to stress the seriousness of his situation.

People are still laughing and John observes them silently for a moment. Although, his face displays a look of mild annoyance and embarrassment, his eyes are sparkling with their contagious laughter.

He smiles briefly and shakes his head in temporary defeat. Then, he turns around and leaps up the stairs that enter the clinic. "Where is she?" he asks of the people closest to the door. One person immediately points towards the cafeteria and John walks quickly in that direction.

When John enters the room he finds Kem at one of its simple dining tables. She is sitting across from Angelique and they both look like they are desperately trying to hold back a fit of barely containable laughs.

John stuffs his hands deep into his pockets and slowly approaches the table. He is deliberately trying to arrange his boyish features into an appropriate sulk as he looks at the triumphant expression on Kem's heart-shaped face.

"Cute", he says mirthlessly. "You do realize that I hurt my back carrying you", and as he says this last part he rubs his back for dramatic emphasis.

She raises an eyebrow and shakes her head as she says, "Fibber".

"Well, I could've hurt my back."

"Am I a supposed to apologize?" she asks with a smile.

"Yeah", he says firmly.

"Hmm…" she says as she sighs but says nothing more.

" 'Hmmm', that's your apology?" Now it is his turn to feign astonishment, and he takes a seat beside her as her waits for her reply.

"Well, I suppose that I could apologize. But in that case, I would have to find a new lover soon after that. One who definitely has a better back."

"Ha…ha", he says mockingly.

Kem leans towards him and they exchange a brief kiss.

"Admit it", she says softly as she shakes her head causing her ponytail to bounce in time with the movement. "You didn't think that I could trick you."

"Ah, we'll see who gets to trick whom", he says and he puts up a hand in protest, clearly not willingly to admit defeat at this point.

They are both still smiling at each other as John's colleagues join them at the table for dinner. The cafeteria is starting to get busier and sound of voices interacting and competing with each other soon fills the room. Kem starts to converse with Uwe, and John takes this moment to surreptitiously wink at Angelique as he thinks about tonight's event.

Angelique nods in acknowledgement, but her smile is short-lived. She had been intently watching the exchange between John and Kem, and although their behavior had been affectionate, the anxiety that she had from this morning has returned.

Kem is something of an enigma to her. When Kem had first come to the clinic, Angelique had been suspicious and a bit frightened that Kem would use her position at the Ministry of Health to pressure the clinic into doing unfavorable tasks in exchange for remaining silent about John's well-intentioned, but nevertheless illegal, smuggling of anti-retroviral drugs into the country.

However, Kem had not requested anything as payment for her silence – a rarity in developing countries where desperate poverty frequently encourages the exchange of goods and services in return for one's silence about misdeeds. Kem's decision to reject opportunism in that situation had intrigued Angelique and eventually allowed her to overcome her initial doubts about Kem's character.

During the time that Kem had been in Congo away from John, Angelique had met Kem often and learned more about her ambitions and hopes. Now, Angelique considers Kem, like John, to be a very good friend.

In fact, one of the things that impresses her most about Kem is that she is so focused, so driven on accomplishing her goals with her project. And that focus seems to enable her to have courage when it comes to confronting government bureaucracy, and provides her with the ability to be self-sufficient in terms of her personal life.

However, when Angelique thinks about John's character and his life she sees a stark contrast between John and Kem. Unlike Kem, John seems to have accomplished his goals and he has, accordingly, entered the 'nesting' phase of his life. He wants the wife, the house, the kids – the whole deal.

But, in Angelique's opinion, the qualities of self-sufficiency and nesting rarely ever go together. In fact, the two are polar opposites, and Angelique is concerned that John sees only his desires and not Kem's intentions.

As Angelique observes John, she can't help but wonder if his plans tonight to propose won't end in disaster?


	3. Chapter 9 Not Quite Yes

Chapter 9 – Not Quite Yes

John laughs at a joke being told by Abe Towanga.

Abe is a nurse who has come to take the place of Peter; dear Peter who had been murdered during Luka's capture a few years ago. Despite Abe's imposing physical stature, he stands about 6'4 and weighs over 250 pounds, he possesses the ability to put people immediately at ease with his outgoing personality and sincere smile.

The group of seven friends, Uwe, Angelique, John, Kem, Debbie, Charles, and Abe, have left the clinic are now seated around a long table in their favorite club, Karibu.

The table is positioned in a prime location at edge of a slightly raised floor that leads to an open-air patio, thereby permitting the group to be refreshed by the occasional breeze that passes through the city.

John is sitting next to Kem at a spot in the center of the table's seating arrangements – a spot strategically chosen so that all of their friends will be able to easily view tonight's planned event. As Abe continues his humorous story, John leans back casually in his chair and takes in his surroundings.

It is just after 9 p.m., and the club is starting to fill up with patrons, some of whom are already on the dance floor, others who are enjoying their drinks and their friends' conversations at the numerous tables that are located throughout the club.

As John looks around, he catches the eye of James Obono, the club's owner, and he nods and smiles at him. James returns the gesture.

James is originally from Kenya, but his mother had immigrated from Kivu when she was a child, so he feels a special connection to the area. In 1964, he decided to settle in Kisangani and open his own business. At that time, life in Kisangani had been peaceful and prosperous. Even though times have most definitely changed, James has decided to stay and do his part to help provide Kisangani's citizens with some semblance of normalcy.

During John's last visit, James had had a chance to meet and get to know this young man, who had left his country as part of a genuine attempt on his part to help people who were essentially strangers to him. And, as with Angelique and Kem, the relationship between John and James has strengthened since John's return from the States. In fact, James arranged to have the perfect table waiting for John for tonight. He had even managed for some of his friends who had returned from visiting relatives in France a few days earlier to clandestinely deliver two highly prized delicacies – a bottle of French Champagne and a box full of delectable pastries – in order to help John celebrate the happy occasion.

As John's gaze falls on James, he is eagerly searching for John's signal that indicates that he wants him to bring over the special treats. However, John shakes his head no; he is not quite ready for that to happen.

John returns his attention to his table just as Abe concludes his story. Everyone starts laughing and John joins them in their laughter, although he isn't quite sure what exactly happened to make them laugh.

Uwe starts talking and everyone shifts their attention to him. Everyone that is, except for John. He focuses his attention on Kem, and as he studies her, he takes in every detail of how she looks at this moment.

She is wearing her hair in the high on the head pony-tail style that he finds completely adorable on her, and she is dressed in a simple pair of pants and a striped linen shirt. Nothing fancy, yet this is how he loves her most. No need for a lot of makeup or a low-cut gown, although he wouldn't mind seeing her in one of those someday; just a simple clean look that allows her very appealing natural beauty and grace to shine through.

His admiration intensifies because he knows that this is how she will look on most days as they spend their lives together. This is how she will look as they share coffee in the mornings, and this is how she will look in the evenings as they share a quiet dinner at home. And he wants to have her and her looks by his side for the rest of his life. He only hopes that this time she will say yes.

Uwe notices how John is looking at Kem, and he decides to quickly end his story. Everybody at the table becomes aware that the moment is near, and they shift a little in their seats as they try to keep up the pretense that this is just another simple gathering.

John starts to open his mouth, and as he does Kem draws back a little from the table, and looks him squarely in the eyes.

John's mouth becomes frozen in mid-sentence, and his face flushes until he is a deep shade of red.

"Are you alright?" she asks with concern.

John's mouth moves, and his voice makes a strange noise, but no intelligible words come out. He gives it a second try. "Yeah, it's just warm in here. I think that I need to move around a bit", he lies, and even as he says those words he is mentally banging his head on the wall for not just coming out and asking her the question.

"Hmm…okay", she says slowly. She is still concerned that his color is too high and she wonders if they shouldn't go home so that he can lie down and get some rest. However, before she can make that suggestion, John cuts her off.

"Would you like another drink?" he asks as he nods in the direction of her almost empty soda bottle.

"Ah…sure. I'll take another tropical Fanta. Are you certain that you're okay?" she asks again.

"Yeah…yeah", he says as he shrugs his shoulders and pulls back from the table. "Does anybody else want anything?" he asks and he hurriedly scans the group with his eyes.

Everyone shakes their heads in answer to his question. Although, Kem thinks that they are shaking their heads because they do not want anything, in actuality, they are shaking their heads in disbelief at John's nervousness.

John gets up from the table and walks over to the bar.

Kem watches him go with a concerned look on her face, while the others try to rearrange their expressions so that she does not become suspicious.

"You know, maybe I feel like another beer after all," Charles says, trying to sound casual.

"Me too", says Abe echoing Charles's earlier statement. Abe and Charles get up and start walking over to John who is already standing at the bar, and Angelique decides that she should step in to keep Kem from becoming either overly concerned or suspicious, so she diverts Kem's attention by asking her a question about work.

As Abe and Charles get closer to John, they pair off and stand next to him on opposite sides.

"You are asking her some time tonight, right?" asks Charles in a slightly exasperated voice.

"Yeah…I don't know what happened", John responds bewilderedly. He shakes his head as he continues, "Suddenly, I got nervous, and I couldn't think of what to say." He takes a deep breath and sighs, "I guess I just want everything to be absolutely perfect. I don't want to mess this up."

Abe, Charles, and James exchange a sympathetic look. Then James takes John gently by the shoulders, pulls him closer to the bar, and says in a paternal tone, "You're going to be fine. Just say to her whatever is in your heart."

John takes another deep breath and exhales an unsteady breath as he tries to calm his heart and his emotions. After a few seconds, he seems like he is finally in control again.

"Alright, I'm ready", he says. He nods at Charles and Abe, and they all start walking back to the table. John sits down and tries to find a casual pose as he places the soda in front of Kem.

"Hmmm…thanks babe. Well, you look a little better anyway", she says.

John smiles and shrugs. Kem smiles back and leans over the edge of her chair in order to rest her head lightly on his chest.

John looks down at her and he finds that he is nervous again. In fact, his pulse is racing so fast that he feels like he's standing at edge of a high cliff that he is about to jump off of.

But why was he so nervous? He had asked her this question before…several times before, in fact. So why should he be so nervous this time? Then the answer came to him –because this time he was dead serious. He needed them to move on with their relationship, and for her to make an official commitment to him and any life that they may have together.

"Kem?"

She moves back a little and looks up at him. She can hear the question in his voice so she answers by asking, "Do you want to go?"

"No", he says quietly. The rest of the table falls silent as they wait in suspense for the question that they know is about to come.

John angles Kem's chair so that she doesn't have to crane her neck in order to look into his eyes, and as he looks into her wide chocolate brown eyes, he smiles briefly at the puzzlement he sees there.

"Kem", he says slowly, and he cups her hand gently in his. "You know I love you. I love you. I love the way that you make me feel. I love that I can't take my eyes off of you. I love the way you say my name. I love the way you _feel_ in my arms, and I can't do without you. Before I left Chicago to come here, I wondered if this time together would make us grow apart or change my feelings towards you, and to some extent it did. I found that I love you more with each passing day, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I also have found that I need you to tell me the same. I need you to commit to us in the same way that I am willing to commit to us. Will you please marry me?" he finishes and he is almost breathless at this point.

He's done his best, but as he looks into her eyes, he can't tell what she's thinking.

"You're asking me to marry you in front of all these people?" she asks quietly and she looks down away from his gaze.

"Yeah", he says a bit nervously. Her question wasn't exactly the response that he'd been hoping for.

"John, I wish you hadn't done this", she says and the look of hope on his face is replaced with one of shock and disappointment. He lets go of her hand.

"I…I thought that we could do this more intimately, without so many people to hear…", and her soft voice trails off.

John drops his gaze from her face as he takes in what she just said and what she is implying. The upbeat music and sounds of laughter from the other tables in the club suddenly seem out of place. None of their friends at the table are speaking, and the tension is almost painful.

Charles glances briefly at John, knowing that John's heart has just been broken. Even though Charles wants to say something, he understands that it's best if he just remains quiet.

Kem's soft voice begins to fill the uneasy silence. "I've been trying to find the best way for some time now to say certain things to you, and I finally decided that I should write them down." She pulls an item from her bag, and John recognizes it as the letter that she had been working on earlier this morning.

"I started writing this letter", she continues, "and it's not quite finished because there's a section that I can't seem to get right. I wanted to work on it some more, but maybe I should give it to you now, even though it's not done." She pauses and looks at John. He has turned his head to one side so that he doesn't have to look at her, and he is gazing into the distance with an unmistakable look of pain on his face.

"I was going to let you read it for yourself", she continues, "but under the circumstances maybe I should read it to you instead." He remains silent and still.

She starts to read from the letter. "Dear John…"

_To be continued._

_I promise that the Part 3 of this story will focus on action and events surrounding the Congo and the upcoming war, but I had to get this aspect of the story out of the way first. And yes, Part 3 will contain the rest of what is in Kem's letter._


	4. Update

Part III has been posted!


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